Tag Archives: Labour Party

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to Government proposals to privatise the collection of court fines, said:

“It is unbelievable that the Government is planning further privatisation to the justice system. 

“The outsourcing of Civil Enforcement Officers will combine weaker oversight with pressure to maximise profits and risks more and more people becoming victim of rogue private bailiffs.

“A previous attempt to privatise all enforcement work was abandoned, but only after the Conservative government had wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money pursuing it. It should not be putting such a flawed idea back on the table.

“From the deep failures in the part-privatised probation system to the scandal surrounding G4S tagging contracts, the Conservative Government’s obsession with privatisation is at the expense of delivering a fair justice system that works for all.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to reports in the Times that the Chancellor is considering to again extend the time until he balances the books until 2027, said:

“If these reports are true, it demonstrates once again that this Tory Government is economically inept and would have failed to meet every fiscal target they have set themselves.

“It also suggests that the Chancellor has had to break cover once more to brief the press that he will fail to meet his own target for balancing the books in a bid to get his excuses in early ahead of the Autumn Budget later this year.

“Only a Labour Government will provide the investment our economy needs, underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule, in order to balance the books and build the high wage, high skill jobs of the future.”

Alan Whitehead MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, commenting on the announcement that British Gas will increase its prices, said:

“Today’s announcement shows that the Conservative Government has still not got a grip on the broken energy market, with companies raising prices yet again.

“This is why we need a Labour Government to radically transform the energy market, bring down energy bills and transition to a low carbon future.

“At the very least the Conservatives should institute the energy price cap which Theresa May promised during the campaign.”

Liz McInnes, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Minister, responding to the outcome of the election in Venezuela, said:

“We mourn all those who have been killed and injured in the protests leading up to this election, and we urge everyone in Venezuela, on all sides, to end the bloodshed immediately.

“In particular, we urge the government of Venezuela to recognise its responsibilities to protect human rights, free speech and the rule of law. The outcome of this election cannot be treated as a mandate for a further escalation of repression, division, and violence.

“President Maduro must also respond personally to the legitimate concerns of the international community about the increasingly authoritarian nature of his rule and the growing hardship facing his people.

“If he believes those concerns are misplaced, it is up to him to prove them wrong, not through his words, but through his deeds.”

Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health, commenting on the Government’s Mental Health Workforce plan, said:

“Being able to recruit thousands of new mental health staff hinges on the money being there to pay for them. Yet, this Tory Government expects mental health and acute trusts to foot more than half the bill themselves. 

“Asking trusts to find savings of £744 million over the next four years when services have already been cut to the bone shows just how out of touch this Tory Government is. These plans simply do not add up.”